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Nike GPA Baseball Camp Loyola Academy

GPA (Grades Plus Athletics) Baseball was established by five coaches from some of the most prestigious academic universities in the country who wanted to increase access to their programs and teaching methods to interested student-athletes all over the country.

The Nike GPA Baseball Camps goal is to host baseball camps in select areas across the country, which have quality students and high caliber athletes. By bringing the camp to the players, Nike GPA Baseball Camps will increase interest in these institutions and provide a convenient way for athletes and their families to experience each university’s program.

Meet Camp Coaches

Camp Director

Ryan Wheeler

Ryan Wheeler, who has 15 years of Division I coaching experience including the last five as an assistant at Richmond, is in his first season as head baseball coach at Temple University.
Wheeler, who directed the Spiders' recruiting efforts while focusing on instruction for both the hitters and infielders, joined the Richmond coaching staff for the 2007 season, after...

Richmond posted a 29-27-2 record in 2011, advancing to the Atlantic 10 Conference championship game. It marked the most wins by the program since the Spiders posted 32 victories in 2007, his first season on the staff.

While at William & Mary, Wheeler helped the Tribe set several school records during his tenure, including a ranking of No. 10 nationally in team hitting and 14th in the country in runs scored per game in 2004.

Wheeler helped guide the 2001 William & Mary squad to a then-school record 35 wins en route to its first-ever Colonial Athletic Association Championship and berth in the NCAA Regionals.

He has mentored a total of 15 players taken in the Major League Baseball Draft, including Joe Mahoney (Baltimore, 2007) Brendan Harris (Chicago Cubs, 2001), Chris Ray (Baltimore, 2003), Chris Shaver (Chicago Cubs, 2004) and Bill Bray (Montreal, 2004).

Bill Walkenbach

Bill Walkenbach took a young team to new heights in 2012 by guiding it to the program's first Ivy League title since the circuit added baseball in 1993 and its first league title since the Big Red won the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League in 1977. After five seasons at the helm, Walkenbach has led the squad to a 99-107-1 record, including a 51-49 mark in Ivy League play, and back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1982.

The 2012 season was filled with dramatic victories, marked by a perfect 5-0 mark in extra-inning affairs. It was an extraordinary turnaround in just a year's time after the Big Red posted a 10-30 record in 2011, then rebounded for a program record 31 victories in 2012. The team's 14-6 record in Ivy League play was also a program high in either the Ivy League or EIBL.

Not surprisingly, Cornell mopped up with 11 All-Ivy selections, including a pair of first-team pitchers in Connor Kaufmann '14 and Kellen Urbon '15. Urbon was a unanimous selection as a first-team relief pitcher and was also named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year — the first time a Cornellian has taken the award since Walkenbach did it himself in 1995. The Big Red posted another winning season in 2013, going 23-17 overall and 11-9 in Ivy League play to finish tied for second in the Lou Gehrig Division.

A former player and assistant coach who was inducted into the Cornell athletics Hall of Fame in 2010, Walkenbach made an immediate impact in his first season directing the program. He guided the Big Red to the Gehrig Division title and won the divisional tiebreaker against Princeton to advance to the Ivy League Championship Series. He finished his first season at the helm of the Big Red with a 17-23 overall record and a 10-10 mark in Ivy League play.

His second season saw the Big Red in contention for a repeat divisional title late in the season before ultimately closing out the year with an 18-20 overall record and a 9-11 league mark. The overall record marked the best season for the Big Red since going 18-18-1 in 1998. Additionally, the year saw David Rochefort '10 and Mickey Brodsky '11 both being named to the All-Ivy League First Team.

Walkenbach, who became the 15th head coach in Cornell baseball history and the second to carry the title of Ted Thoren Head Coach of Baseball, was named to the position on August 14, 2008. In his first season at Cornell, he had several players earn Ivy League honors, placing Nathan Ford '09 and David Rochefort '10 on the All-Ivy First Team. Another pair — Scott Hardinger '09 and Brian Billigen '13 — earned second-team accolades, while Mickey Brodsky '11 was named honorable mention.

After his eighth season as a head baseball coach, Walkenbach holds a 168-1549-1 coaching record, including three seasons as head coach at Division III Franklin & Marshall. He led the Diplomats to a 69-42 overall record and a dominating 43-11 mark in league play, guiding the team to a pair of Centennial Conference regular season championships. Under his direction, F&M had 19 players earn all-conference honors, and finished the 2006 season ranked 13th in the nation and second in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Coach

Pete Wilk

Pete Wilk enters his 14th season as the head coach of the Georgetown baseball program, taking over duties in 1999 and helping to rebuild the program in that time.
On the field, the...

Pete Wilk enters his 14th season as the head coach of the Georgetown baseball program, taking over duties in 1999 and helping to rebuild the program in that time.

On the field, the Hoyas have become a competitive program in the always-tough BIG EAST Conference and his 260 wins make him the all-time winningest coach in Georgetown history. Off the field, his team has been successful in the classroom and involved in the community, both on-campus and off.

Last year, the Hoyas won 24 games overall, including 10 in the BIG EAST and went into the final day of play in the regular season with a chance to make the BIG EAST Tournament. In 2004 and 2005, Wilk guided the team to its most successful two-season win total (50) since the 1984-85 seasons. Wilk also was named Coach of the Year by The Hoya for his efforts in 2004.

During his tenure on the Hilltop, Wilk has implemented a Career Night for current Hoya baseball players to get career advice and network with GU baseball alumni. Georgetown players have also been involved in community efforts, working with the on-campus Hoya Dreams program and annually taking part in the D.C. Heart Walk, which raises money for the American Heart Association.

Wilk has also initiated the preseason First Pitch Dinner which is a fundraiser exclusively for the baseball program. The inaugural First Pitch Dinner in 2005 featured Terry Francona, manager of the World Champion Boston Red Sox, as the guest speaker and television and radio personality Mike Barnicle as the emcee. Since that time, other sports luminaries such as ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian, Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, legendary United States hockey goalie Jim Craig, Major League pitcher Jamie Moyer and Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield have joined the Hoyas at their season-opening event.

Before becoming head coach at Georgetown in 2000, Wilk served as an assistant coach with the Hoyas for the 1998 and 1999 season.

Wilk came to the Hilltop in the fall of 1997 after serving as the head baseball coach at Acton-Boxboro High School in Massachusetts, where he helped turn around a program that previously went 3-17 into a 13-10 team that made an appearance in the 1996 state semifinals.

Prior to coaching at Acton-Boxboro, Wilk served as an assistant coach at Harvard University for four years (1992-95). He began his collegiate coaching career at Boston University where he was an assistant coach for two seasons (1990-91).

In addition to his Georgetown coaching duties, Wilk was an assistant coach for the Harwich Mariners of the prestigious Cape Cod summer league, which won the Eastern Division title in 1997 before the Barrington, R.I., native took over the helm of the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League in 1998 and 1999.

Wilk has a wealth of international baseball experience. He has previously worked baseball clinics in the Dominican Republic (2000, '01, '02, '05), as well as in Germany (1996) and Sweden (1994) for Major League Baseball. In January 2001, he worked a clinic in Oslo for the Norwegian Baseball Federation.

Wilk is a 1987 graduate of Rollins College, where he earned a degree in American Studies.

He and his wife, Erin, live in Virginia with their daughter Reese.

Coach

Marek Drabinski

Head Coach Marek Drabinski is now in his 18th season with Brown and looks to take the Bears back to the top of the Rolfe Division and the Ivy League Championship.
Drabinski had a...

Head Coach Marek Drabinski is now in his 18th season with Brown and looks to take the Bears back to the top of the Rolfe Division and the Ivy League Championship.

Drabinski had a banner year in his 11th at the helm of the Brown baseball program, leading the squad to the Ivy League title. He led the Bears to a team-record 27 wins, besting the previous mark of 25 set by his 2002 club and earning New England Coach of the Year honors from the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association. Drabinski also recorded three-straight 23-win seasons from 1999 to 2001, which tie for the third-most wins in a season by a Brown squad.

In addition to his head coaching responsibilities, Drabinski works closely with the Bears pitchers and catchers. 2007 was Brown's seventh season with double-digit wins in the Ivy League, six of which have come under Drabinski's watch, as the Bears took the Red Rolfe Division title with a 14-6 mark. Brown was once again the top hitting team in the Ivy League, hitting .346 in League games, 39 points ahead of any other team. The Bears also led the League in on-base percentage, slugging, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases.

Brown's pitchers also were outstanding, finishing second with a 4.22 ERA in Ivy play and recording a League-high 153 strikeouts, 28 more than any other team. The Bears raked in postseason honors as a result, with Devin Thomas' unanimous selection as Ivy League Player of the Year and Jeff Dietz's selection as Pitcher of the Year headlining a list of five First Team and two Second Team All-Ivy, four All-New England, and three All-Northeast honorees. In the last nine years, the Bears have compiled 105 Ivy wins, the second-highest among Ivy League schools.

Drabinski was the runner-up for New England Coach of the Year in 1999 after leading Brown to its first winning season in 10 years. During his tenure, Brown has had 28 First Team All-Ivy, 23 All-New England and 13 All-Northeast Region selections. Drabinski has coached a total of 17 players who have gone on to play professionally, including Thomas, Brown's highest draft pick since 1973 when he was chosen in the seventh round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Detroit Tigers last summer, and Dietz, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks after his junior season.

After the 2011 season, senior catcher Matt Colantonio was selected by the San Diego Padres, while senior third baseman Ryan Zrenda signed with the Baltimore Orioles.

Drabinski arrived at Brown after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Connecticut, under legendary head coach Andy Baylock. He was responsible for the Husky catchers and outfielders, and also served as the conditioning coach and assistant hitting coach.

A 1991 graduate of Connecticut with a degree in finance, Drabinski was a four-year starter for the Huskies at catcher. He was selected as captain both his junior and senior seasons, with the 1990 team capturing the Big East Conference Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Northeast Regional. UConn's MVP in 1990, Drabinski also earned All-Big East Conference honors in 1988 and was a member of the 1990 Big East Conference Tournament Team. After his collegiate playing career, Drabinski spent two-plus seasons with the Atlanta Braves organization, making stops in Idaho Falls and spending two seasons with the Braves' Class A affiliate in Macon, Georgia. After his pro career, he returned to Connecticut in 1994, earning his Master's Degree in Sports Management.

Drabinski is the director of the highly successful Brown Baseball Camps, which has gained the reputation of developing outstanding young pitchers. He and his staff also conduct several youth clinics throughout the year. Marek, a native of Chicopee, Massachusetts, now resides in Lisbon, Connecticut, with his wife, Tracie, and his three children, Brandon (16), Jordyn (14) and Austin (10).

Coach

Bill Cilento

Bill Cilento enters his fourth year as an assistant coach at Wake Forest. He will work primarily with the Demon Deacon hitters and infielders.
"Having worked with Bill for two years at...

Bill Cilento enters his fourth year as an assistant coach at Wake Forest. He will work primarily with the Demon Deacon hitters and infielders.

"Having worked with Bill for two years at the University of New Orleans, several things stood out to me," head coach Tom Walter said. "Bill has a passion for college baseball that is exemplary and is a tireless worker and relentless recruiter. He is also able to quickly and easily develop a mutual respect and unique rapport with his players."

Cilento joined the Wake Forest staff after serving the previous three seasons at Brown University where he worked as the hitting coach and the infield coach. As a team, Brown hit .308 during the 2009 season, finishing the year with a 24-19-1 record. Matt Nuzzo, an infielder for Brown in 2009, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2009 MLB Draft after hitting .324 with 11 home runs.

"At Brown, Bill has taken his recruiting base to a national level and has still managed to maintain an excellent relationship with the players in his charge," Walter added. "Our hitters will be well instructed and well prepared."

Cilento made an immediate impact with the Brown baseball program in his first season in 2007, helping the Bears to their first-ever Ivy League Championship and NCAA regional berth. Brown led the Ivy League in nearly every offensive statistic in 2007, including winning the batting average category by 39 points.

Walter and Cilento worked together at New Orleans for two seasons. Cilento worked with the Privateer infield during his two seasons at UNO and also assisted with recruiting. During his tenure, he helped to recruit 38 future Privateers. In his last season, New Orleans improved its record by 11 games, finishing fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. Cilento coached three All-Sun Belt players while at UNO.

Before his time at New Orleans, Cilento was an assistant at his alma mater, Siena. He primarily worked with the Saint pitchers and also was the recruiting coordinator. In three seasons, he coached five players who were selected in the MLB Draft, the MAAC Pitcher of the Year, a freshman All-American and six All-MAAC selections. During each season, his pitching staff finished in the top two in the conference in ERA.

Cilento worked as a hitting instructor for the 2002 regular season champion Schenectady Mohawks of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. In 2001, he coached the American Legion's Cissel Saxon Post 41 in Montgomery County, Maryland, to the 2001 Maryland State Championship.

Cilento was a four-year starter at Siena and was a member of two MAAC regular season championship teams. He was also a part of the 1999 Siena team, which competed in an NCAA regional at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

A native of Brookeville, Md., Cilento graduated from Siena College in 2003 with a degree in accounting.

Coach

John Cole

John Cole, a native of Allentown, PA, was previously head baseball coach at the University of Pennsylvania (2005-2013) and Rowan University (1999-2005). He will join CNU's staff and...

John Cole, a native of Allentown, PA, was previously head baseball coach at the University of Pennsylvania (2005-2013) and Rowan University (1999-2005). He will join CNU's staff and serve as pitching coach.

"I've known John for the last 13 years and coached against him when he was at Rowan," Harvell said. "I've always had great respect for his programs. We are very fortunate to have a person with his experience joining our staff."

Cole was named the Big 5 Coach of the Year and won a division title for the first time in 12 seasons while leading Pennsylvania's baseball program. He led the Quakers to their highest win total in 14 seasons (22), and was recognized by the NCAA for outstanding graduation rates every year.

While at Rowan, Cole's squads went 229-73 for a winning percentage of 76 percent. His teams set the school record for wins three times, including a 42-win campaign in 2005. The Profs captured three conference titles in seven seasons, the first NJAC titles for the program since 1979.

Cole was also an assistant coach at William & Mary from 1992-1999, at Dartmouth from 1990-92, at DeSales College from 1988-1990, and at the University of North Carolina from 1986-88. He also was named the Interim Head Coach at William & Mary for a brief stint in 1997.

Cole graduated from Ithaca College in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, and earned his Master of Arts degree in Education from North Carolina in 1988.

Camp Details

Nike GPA Baseball Camps provide a high level of instruction as well as access to every coach at the camp. With over 75 years of combined coaching, camp and recruiting experience, the Nike GPA Baseball coaches will provide a first class experience for everyone. Head coaches from each program are present to evaluate and work with each athlete Click the "Coaches" Tab to read more about each coach.

Cornell has 36 varsity intercollegiate teams that have the nickname of the Big Red. An NCAA Division 1 institution, Cornell is a member of the Ivy League ECAC Hockey and competes in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC), the largest athletic conference in North America. (ECAC Hockey is no longer affiliated with the ECAC.) Cornell's varsity athletic teams currently are highly successful within the Ivy League, and consistently challenge for NCAA Division I titles.

Brown is a member of the NCAA Division 1 Ivy League athletic conference. It sponsors 37 varsity intercollegiate teams. Its athletic programs have been featured in the College Sports Honor Roll as one of the top 20 athletic programs in the country according to U.S. News & World Report.

Wake Forest has won a total of eight national championships in four different sports; four of these championships have come in the past six years. Wake Forest is sometimes referred to as being a part of "The Big Four," a term that refer to the four North Carolina schools that compete heatedly against each other within the ACC; these include Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State as well as Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons participate in the NCAA’s Division I and in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Georgetown fields 23 varsity teams and the Club Sports Board supports an additional 23 club teams. The varsity teams participate in the NCAA’s Division 1. U.S. News and World Report listed Georgetown's athletics program among the 20 best in the nation. Georgetown's student athletes have a 94% graduation success rate, and over one-hundred have gone on to play professionally.

Christopher Newport University is located in Newport News, Virginia. Recognized as one of the most beautifully kept campuses in the country, CNU may also be the fastest growing University in the Country with over 1.5 billion dollars spent in capitol projects and improvements. A Division III power in all sports, baseball is arguably the school's strongest intercollegiate venue. CNU baseball boasts three trips to the NCAA College World Series including a runner-up finish in 2003, 8 conference championships and an annual visit to the top ten national rankings in the country.

Camp Hours

Camp Hours may be adjusted based on number of participants. Please arrive no earlier than a half hour prior to the start of camp.

Equipment

Campers are responsible for their own equipment. Appropriate baseball attire should be worn. Each camper will be given a GPA t-shirt which should be worn at the camp.

Trainer

A licensed medical trainer will be on site for all camp activities.

Meals

Campers will be responsible for all meals at the camp. Lunch breaks will be taken and adequate time will be given to eat.

Inclement Weather

GPA Baseball reserves the right to postpone any camp due to inclement weather or unforeseen scheduling conflicts. In the event of bad weather, please arrive at the field for further instructions and decisions. All changes in schedules will be announced at least 30 minutes prior to camp start time. If camp is postponed, it will be made up at the earliest convenient day and time. If a make-up date is unavailable, credit in the amount equal to one day of the cost of the camp will be issued. This credit may be used for any future camp. GPA Baseball will not be responsible for sessions missed for personal reasons, and will not guarantee any make-up.

Camper Reviews

Parent

5/5.

Best Money Ever Spent

We have spent thousands of dollars trying to gain exposure for our son Blake and this was by far the best money we have spent. We have heard from several of the schools in attendance. The coaches actually talked to the players at the camp and gave us the feedback we were so desperately looking for. I would recommend this camp to any player and parent in the country looking to spend their dollars wisely.

Parent

5/5.

Best of Both Worlds

My son, a senior, and I were very impressed with your GPA Camp in Dallas. The schools represented there embodied the best of both worlds - academic and athletic excellence. Additionally, it was evident that the universities were there because they were truly interested in finding student athletes, as my son has received real interest from some. Our only regret is that we didn't take advantage of the GPA Camp as a junior. I would highly recommend it to the high school baseball player that is a good student, a good athlete and wants to play college baseball at an exceptional university.

Player

5/5.

Best Camp I've Ever Attended

I really enjoyed this camp as we were in very close contact with all the coaches. It was different than other camps because the coaches were actually instructing us instead of giving us a drill and telling us to go at it. I have been in contact with several of the schools since then and it was a great experience for me and the best camp I've ever attended.

Grand Parent

5/5.

Invaluable

I would like to take a minute to express my gratitude for your encouragement to my grandson to attend the GPA Showcase Camp. He's a junior this year and we are trying to make good decisions working through this college process. We have attended a number of college camps and played in four college showcase tournaments last summer. But, this was as close to a one-on-one as I have seen so far. The small groups and individual instruction about the mental and physical approach to the game of baseball was invaluable. The coaches also discussed with these young men the importance of family, academics and good character. We are looking forward to the GPA Summer Showcase.

Player

5/5.

I was blown away!

I was blown away by the fact that there were so many head coaches at the camp and not just assistants. The coaches were all very accessible and took the time to talk to me.

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